Little Rascals
by ScruffyLovin
Summary: Jack and Daniel have been turned into little kids and they're driving Sam and everyone else crazy! Established SamJack and DanielJanet. Kidfic.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Jack and Daniel have been turned into little kids and they're driving Sam (and everyone else) crazy!

**Timeframe: **Slight AU, Season Three-ish.

**Characters/Pairing: **Established Sam/Jack and Janet/Daniel.

**Genre: **Humor, kidfic, AU, Drama, Hurt/Comfort

**Rating: **PG.

**Note: **This story came about from a dream I had. In the dream it was Jack and _Teal'c _who were the kids, and they were in a mall, crawling around the ducts to escape the mall cop, but I figured Daniel would be more in character as a giggling little kid than Teal'c, and the SGC would be the perfect setting. I also managed to squeeze two separate prompts into this one. Go me.

**Prompt #1: **Jack in mud.

**Prompt #2: **camouflage.

**Little Rascals**

**Part One**

Sam stomped unhappily across the grounds outside the base to find a similarly unhappy Teal'c striding to meet her half-way with two very muddy five-year-olds, one under each muscular arm. The boys were squirming and giggling so much that Sam thought the Jaffa might drop their slippery little bodies.

It was hard for Sam to think that the mud-covered little boy with the big brown eyes and messy brown hair (currently indistinguishable because of the muck) was actually her husband. Okay, so he wasn't THAT far off in this current state, Sam considered with a roll of her eyes. Jack DID tend to act like a little boy half the time.

Teal'c didn't look happy at all. He'd been watching the boys for only half an hour while Sam had been trying desperately to complete some lab work. She wasn't happy to have her work interrupted to come take the boys back, and Teal'c wasn't happy to be smeared with mud from the two rascals.

She grimaced apologetically as the Jaffa stopped in front of her. "I'm really sorry Teal'c. I didn't think they could get into too much trouble playing _outside_ for a change."

Teal'c's face remained a stoic mask. He set the boys down on their feet and practically shoved them toward Sam. "I believe I now require a long session of kelno'reem."

Sam took a dirty hand of each boy and grimaced at the cold, squishy mud that oozed between her fingers as she did so. Heaving a sigh, she glanced down at the two innocently-grinning boys beside her. They were both so covered in mud, the only way to really tell the difference between them was their eyes. Daniel's enormous bright blue eyes were obscured by too-large mud-smeared glasses while Jack's doe-like brown orbs stared up at her, smiling without the use of his mouth.

She heaved another sigh, leading the two mud-wrestlers back to the base after Teal'c, who was already several meters ahead of them.

.

Sam managed to wrangle Janet into helping her get the two boys cleaned up. They were dragged, literally, kicking and screaming into the locker room. It was easier to clean up the mud wrestlers there than in the VIP suite, and since Janet wasn't busy with any patients at the moment, Sam knew she could count on her friend to help. After all, Daniel was her fiancé; she should be helping take care of him in this very vulnerable state. Sam was forced to do the same for her husband.

_For better or for worse_, Sam found herself often repeating in her head over the past few days.

"I don't want a bath!" Daniel shrieked while at the same time Jack screamed, "Let me go G.I. Barbie!"

Sam was not amused at the nickname Jack had chosen to give her when he was being particularly churlish. He knew her name was Sam, and that she was not his mother, but he didn't remember anyone, or even who his real mother was. Neither did Daniel. That had been a cause for many problems from the get go. Luckily, though, the boys had learned to get pretty comfortable with at least Teal'c, Janet, and herself.

Seeing Sam's frustration at the boys' petulant behavior, and getting a little annoyed herself, Janet decided it was time for a harmless little bribe. "If you boys behave you can have a special treat after your baths, okay?"

Jack stopped trying to duck away from Sam's grasp for a moment. "What kinda treat?" he wanted to know, eyeing Janet cagily.

With a smart smile, Janet said, "Dessert." She saw the immediate gleam in Jack's dark eyes. She knew his weakness and wasn't afraid to exploit it.

"Okay." He gave a nod of approval at the idea.

Daniel seemed thoughtful for a moment and nodded his agreement as well.

Janet got the feeling her pint-sized fiancé was pining over the commissary's homemade chocolate-chip walnut cookies; his favorite. She reached into the shower stall to turn on the water and adjust the temperature as Sam did the same in the stall to her left.

Suddenly envying Janet for Daniel's compliance in allowing her to remove his mud-caked clothing without a fight, Sam made a grab for Jack's shirt as he tried to dodge her. She'd only gotten his shoes and socks off so far. So much for behaving for dessert. That lasted, ohh . . . about twelve whole seconds.

Sam managed to get a grip on the muddy shirt despite Jack's efforts and pulled it off the wiggling five-year-old easily. A triumphant grin spread across her face, but it vanished quickly in the face of a defiant Jack as he leapt back and nearly fell into the shower stall when she reached for his pants.

"Wait!" he squeaked, holding out one hand to halt her actions while the other mud-stiffened one gripped the elastic waist of his jeans. "I don't want you to give me a bath! You're not Tea'uk, and you're not my mommy!"

Rolling her eyes, Sam sighed where she knelt in front of him and bluntly said, "No, I'm your wife."

He was stunned for half a second before mimicking someone who was about to vomit. "Ew! Gross!"

Sam went to run a frustrated hand through her hair, then stopped abruptly, realizing her hand was dirty from touching Jack. She thought she heard Janet laugh in the next stall over and ignored it. Then she realized that since Jack and Daniel had been turned into five-year-olds, Teal'c (or _Tea'uk_, as the boys mispronounced) had normally been the one that was in charge of bath time. Apparently, the kids were less likely (or able) to try and escape from the intimidating Jaffa.

"Jack, I need to get your muddy clothes off," she said impatiently, holding herself back from shouting in frustration, but just barely.

Jack had the waistband of his pants in a death grip. "No! You're a girl!"

With her patience thinned down to nothing now, Sam stared at the impudent five-year-old with the best maternal glare she could muster and said, "Jack, I've seen you naked before. Get over it. Now you either hold still so I can get you out of those filthy clothes or take them off yourself."

Now Sam could hear Janet's full-bellied laughter while the other woman was soaping up Daniel in the next stall. The ghost of a smile twitched across Sam's face before she resumed her glare when Jack's grip tightened on his waistband once more. "NOW, Jack."

The little boy gulped and held her gaze for nearly half a minute before heaving a resigned sigh. "Okay! Okay!" Then, as he began to strip off the remainder of the mud-caked garments, muttered under his breath, "For cryin' out loud."

Sam pulled back the curtain and ushered the mud-caked, naked little body into the stall and under the spray of warm water, feeling quite satisfied.

.

When both boys were finally clean, Sam and Janet brought their towel-wrapped forms into the VIP quarters and dug through the sets of pajamas that had been bought and paid for by the Air Force.

Jack and Daniel were running madly around the suite dressed only in their batman and spider-man (respectively) briefs for fifteen minutes before the two women got them settled down enough to choose pajamas.

Janet had Daniel all dressed in his bug-covered pajamas and bouncing on the bed impatiently when Jack finally decided on what he was going to wear to bed.

Sam felt herself smiling without a bit of surprise when Jack started to pull on the camouflage pajama pants and then raised his arms for her to help him with the shirt.

Once both the boys were dressed, Janet made for the door, waving Sam with her for a moment. "Sam, try and put a movie in so they get tired, and I'll go to the commissary for their bedtime snacks."

"Alright, you get snack detail, I take movie detail," Sam nodded in agreement and quickly ushered the doctor out the door before Daniel could notice she was leaving. He tended to get very clingy with Janet around bedtime. Sam thought it was cute.

"Sam, when do we get cake?" Jack asked, climbing onto the couch and bouncing up and down on the cushions. Daniel quickly copied him, and soon the both of them were hopping from cushion to cushion on the abused old sofa.

"Janet's going to get your desserts now," Sam told him patiently. Now that it was nearing bedtime, she was feeling a little relieved and much more generous with her pleasant mood. "Just settle down and she'll be back in a few minutes."

Daniel plopped down on his butt and smiled hopefully at Sam. "Can we watch _Ind'ana Jones_?"

Sam smiled and nearly laughed out loud when Jack began to hum the familiar movie tune. "I suppose so." The films had quickly become the boys' favorites. Daniel enjoyed the archaeological aspect, even at his young age, and Jack loved the action and comedy rolled into one.

Jack did a somersault on the cushions and collided into Daniel before laughing and hopping back to the other side of the couch.

Sam had just put the movie in when she heard the announcement over the loudspeakers.

"_**Doctor Fraiser, please report to the infirmary for a medical emergency! Doctor Fraiser to the infirmary!"**_

Hoping it was nothing serious, Sam looked over at the boys sitting on the sofa and sighed at the wondering expressions on their faces when they both looked her way at the same time.

Daniel pouted. "Does this mean we don't get dessert?" he asked querulously.

Jack frowned. "You promised cake!" he accused when Sam said nothing.

Heaving a sigh, Sam grimaced, immediately regretting the bribe. Janet couldn't bring them back their treats if she was headed to the infirmary now, and Sam doubted she'd be able to wrangle anyone to look after the two boys if she left. And she couldn't possibly take them with her. That would be a disaster. She found herself facing a difficult decision. Either leave them for five minutes and run to the commissary, take them with her and risk tons of havoc, or tell them they wouldn't be getting their treats after all and chance a total mutiny.

Sam took one more look at the two five-year-olds and found that they were focused intently on the TV again, now that the movie was playing. She made a quick decision. "Guys, I'll go get your snacks, okay? Just sit tight and be very good boys until I get back. If you haven't behaved when I return, I won't give you your special treats, got it?" Hopefully the threat would work.

"Okay!" they each replied easily, transfixed by what was happening on screen.

Somewhat satisfied that Jack and Daniel would continue to watch the movie for ten minutes, Sam quickly made her exit.

.

As soon as Sam was gone, Jack gave Daniel's shoulder a shove and a mischievous grin spread across his youthful face.

"What?" Daniel whined from the shove, adjusting the too-big glasses that had been jerry-rigged with an elastic strap so they'd stay on his face.

Jack quickly hopped off the couch and made a beeline for the door. When he noticed Daniel wasn't following him, he turned around and impatiently waved him over. "C'mon, let's go!"

Blinking at his friend, Daniel slid off the couch and shrugged, going over to Jack slowly. "Where are we going?"

"To get cake!" Jack exclaimed in an obvious tone. Jeeze, didn't this kid know anything?

Daniel's brows furrowed and he adjusted the ever-slipping glasses on his face. "Isn't Sam getting it for us?"

Rolling his eyes, Jack shrugged. "Who knows? It's not like she hasn't lied to us before." He scoffed. "We're gonna get it ourselves."

Seeming to decide that he was up for a little fun, Daniel nodded his assent while Jack opened the door just enough to poke his head through. He frowned and backed into the room when an SF in the hall glanced his way with a look that dared him to try and make an escape.

Having not been paying attention and leaning closely behind Jack to try and peer out the door himself, Daniel fell unceremoniously on his butt when Jack backed into him.

"Guards," Jack muttered, walking around the boy sprawled on the floor, and searching for another way out. He found one seconds later by way of the grate on the wall for the ventilation ducts. A sly smirk spread across his face as he made his way over. "Bingo."

Sliding his little fingers between the slats in the grate, Jack tugged uselessly with a grunt of effort. "Help me open this," he called to Daniel, who was now standing there staring at him.

"Wait," Daniel stopped when Jack turned to glare at him. He waved his hands around and began searching the room. "We need somethin' to open it with." The little boy headed toward the desk in the corner to look for something they could use to pry the grate open.

Understanding what the other boy was doing now, Jack abandoned his useless tugging and hurried to the desk where Daniel was. He pulled open a drawer and started tossing things out, searching for anything useful and discarding everything else.

Daniel pulled out a letter opener and showed it to Jack. "Can we use this?"

Furrowing his brows and sticking out his lower lip, Jack took the letter opener and looked at it in thought before glancing over to the vent. His eyes suddenly lit up, a hopeful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "This might work to undo the screws!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Daniel shrugged and followed his friend to the vent.

.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **This fic has been labeled 'complete' because it's finished, I'm just slowly editing and posting chapters.

**Part Two**

Much to Sam's stupefaction and inner fury, the boys were nowhere to be seen when she returned to their room with a piece of chocolate-peanut butter cake and a big chocolate-chip walnut cookie. She searched under the bed, the couch, and even the bathroom, wardrobe, and closet, but the two little rascals were nowhere to be found.

Then she saw it. The suspiciously open grate to the air ducts.

Sam hurried over, knelt down to peer inside, and cursed. The two munchkins had flown the coop. Dammit. Abandoning the desserts on the coffee table, Sam dashed out of the room to inform the SF outside, and begin her search. This was going to be a long night.

.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Daniel grumbled after nearly colliding with Jack's butt for the third time when the boy stopped abruptly in front of him. The dusty ventilation ducts had him sneezing every couple of feet, and his eyes were itchy and watery. This was not fun at all.

"To the commissary! Duh," Jack muttered from up front, as though the answer was obvious.

Pausing to sneeze into the crook of his elbow, Daniel heaved a sigh. "I _know _that. But do you know how to get there?"

"Of course I do!" Jack peered from left to right, deciding which turn to take in the dark duct.

Not quite believing him, Daniel began to crawl forward again when Jack turned left, but stopped short when his friend suddenly yelped and disappeared. "Jack!"

"Ahh!" he heard the other boy cry out, the sound growing faint with the accompanying thumps along the sides of the duct.

Carefully inching forward, Daniel realized that the left turn Jack had taken led down to a steep slide that went somewhere he couldn't see. "Uh-oh," he murmured, afraid to follow after his friend. Gulping, and momentarily chewing on his lower lip, Daniel called down into the dark abyss, "Don't worry, Jack! I'll go get help!"

Turning around in the small space, Daniel quickly scampered back down the duct the way they'd come, hoping he could remember his way back.

.

Jack finally slid to an ungraceful stop when he crashed into a grate at the end of the incline, the force of his momentum causing him to break through, tumbling out onto the hard floor. "Ow," he grumbled, rubbing his head as he climbed to his feet, squinting while he waited for his eyes to focus in the dim lighting. Having no idea where he was, Jack brushed the dust off his pajamas and took a few tentative steps forward as his eyes continued to adjust.

As he took a good look around, gazing at the shelves and boxes that were surrounding him, Jack realized that he was in some sort of storage area. He snuck around quietly, worried about being found out, rounding a shelf and grinning when he discovered the door. "Yes!" he cheered quietly, reaching for the handle. "Time to get my snack!"

Carefully creeping out of the storage closet, Jack looked both ways as he poked his head out into the hall. Seeing no one, he closed the door behind him and scampered down the corridor, his sock-clad feet virtually silent on the smooth cement floor.

.

With the latest medical emergency dealt with, Janet returned to the VIP suite where the boys had disappeared from. She had run into Sam, who quickly informed her of the boys' little Houdini act, and had then offered to go back to the scene of the crime in case the kids wound up back there.

Janet was sitting not-so-patiently at the small table in the suite when a dusty, sneezing little Daniel rolled out of the still-open air duct. Maternal and doctor's instincts kicking in, she grabbed a box of Kleenex and hurried over to him.

"Daniel!" she exclaimed, crouching in front of the bewildered, sniffling five-year-old, and quickly bringing a tissue up to wipe his nose. "Where have you been?"

He sneezed loudly, and she gingerly took his hand, wordlessly leading him into the bathroom as the fit continued. Her miniature fiancé was struggling to catch his breath, and she quickly lifted him onto the counter as tears streaked down his dirty cheeks.

"It's okay," Janet soothed, finding a wash cloth and soaking it in warm, soapy water to wash his face of the dust and grime. "It's okay; just breathe, alright?"

Daniel's shaky gasps slowed to a normal breathing pattern as Janet washed away the source of his sneezing fit. She washed his hands next, and then got him changed into a clean pair of pajamas before trying to get anymore information out of the little escapee.

Sniffling as Janet set him on the bed, and rubbing at his red, itchy eyes beneath the big glasses, Daniel stuck out his trembling lower lip. "We just wanted our snacks," he murmured, his chin dipping down to his chest shamefully.

"Daniel," Janet crouched in front of the bed, her hands on the little boy's shoulders as she looked into his bloodshot blue eyes. "Where's Jack?"

As if suddenly remembering his missing friend, Daniel jumped up and off the bed, scrambling toward the wall vent. "He's in there somewhere!" he cried excitedly, pointing. "We got lost, and . . . Oh! There was a big drop and he slid down!"

Eyes widening in alarm, Janet followed Daniel to where he knelt in front of the vent, pointing inside. "And you don't know where he went?" she asked calmly.

"Uh-uh." Daniel shook his head. His nose was running, and he quickly swiped his sleeve across his face. "I yelled, but he didn't answer so I turned around and came back to get help."

Sighing, Janet put a hand to her forehead and took in a calming breath, reaching down to give Daniel an encouraging pat on the head. "I appreciate you coming back to let someone know, Daniel. That was very smart of you." She motioned to the door when he smiled up at her. "Come on, let's go get you something to help with your allergies."

"But what about Jack?" Daniel sounded appalled that she would leave his friend behind. Some things hadn't changed.

Smiling down at him reassuringly, she said, "Don't worry, Sam and probably half the base are out looking for him now." Janet grimaced internally as she led Daniel out of the room, telling the SF outside to keep sharp in case Jack came back the way Daniel had.

The General wasn't going to be very happy if he found out about this. Luckily, as far as Janet knew, Hammond had gone home for the night already, leaving Colonel Reynolds in charge of the skeleton crew. Now all they had to do was get Jack back without incident, and the man in charge didn't need to find out.

_Fat chance of that_, Janet thought ruefully, giving Daniel a Kleenex from her pocket when he started sneezing again.

.

Heart hammering away in his chest with the thrill of this new, fun game, Jack tip-toed around another corner without being seen. He was surprised that there were so little people in this big place at night. During the day there were people everywhere!

Feeling triumphant and more than a little gutsy, Jack strutted down the corridor and came to an intersection without checking it first. The shout from the hall to the right caught him by surprise, and he jumped, suddenly alert.

"Hey! Kid! How'd you get down here?"

The SF startled him, and Jack's eyes widened as the guard strode determinedly his way. Not wanting to be caught, he quickly ran down the other corridor and dashed into an open door, the guard's loud boots clomping behind him.

His sock-clad feet slipped on the smooth floor, and before he could right himself, Jack careened into a cabinet, the sound of breaking glass shattering the silence as fragile objects rained down on and around him.

The sharp, stinging pain in his back didn't register until the SF grabbed a hold of him, wrapping a muscled arm about his small frame and carrying him out of the room under his arm like a sack of potatoes.

"I don't know who you are or how you got down here, but you're sure in trouble now, little fella."

Jack squirmed frantically, which only increased his pain. He gasped, still wiggling, as tears streamed freely down his cheeks. "Lemme go! Lemme go!"

When the SF carrying him turned a corner, Jack noticed a familiar figure striding across the hall ahead of them. An ally. Someone he could trust to help him, he was sure of it. "Tea'uk!" he cried out, doing all he could to squirm so that the SF would put him down. "Tea'uk! HELP!"

"Kid, stop it, will you?" the Airman grunted as Jack's flailing legs kicked at him. The guard swung him up, wrapping both arms around the five-year-old and holding him to his chest.

"Lemme go! Tea'uk!" Jack squeaked one last time, sniffling and sobbing now as adrenaline faded and he realized his back was ablaze with agony, pressed to the Airman's chest. Jack might not remember who she was, but he wanted his mommy.

.

Teal'c stopped short at the sound of the small voice calling for him. He backed up in the corridor and spied his miniaturized friend, caught up in the grips of an SF, who was struggling to hold onto the wailing, squirming youngster.

Moved by the cries of pain, Teal'c swiftly strode toward his friend as the guard looked pleadingly at him. "O'Neill. Major Carter has been searching for you."

The SF sergeant still hung onto the boy. "I found him just walking the halls, and chased him into a lab. He broke some stuff in there," he explained.

"_Tea'uk, help." _O'Neill pleaded, sniffling. His wide brown eyes looked up pitifully.

Seeing the tear-streaked face, Teal'c became alarmed at the whimpers emitting from the five-year-old. "Release him at once."

"Yes, sir. You'll take him back to . . . wherever he's supposed to be?"

"I shall." Teal'c nodded, and as the SF released O'Neill, the boy sunk to his knees on the floor, head hanging as he continued to whimper, his small body quaking. Teal'c's eyes widened with both anger and alarm at the sight of blood staining the back of young O'Neill's torn nightshirt.

Brows creasing, Teal'c's eyes flashed angrily at the airman, who looked just as shocked as he. "Did you not see that he is injured?" He bellowed, not caring that the guard took a wary step back when Teal'c moved toward the boy.

"I - I didn't know, sir!" the SF exclaimed earnestly. "He'd broken some stuff in the lab, but I wasn't aware that he'd been hurt. I was only concerned about getting a hold of him before he damaged anymore equipment." He looked suitably nervous as Teal'c crouched beside O'Neill and glared up at the airman. "I apologize, sir."

Heaving a loud breath that sounded more like a snorting bull, Teal'c growled, "Leave us. I shall take him to the infirmary."

The guard gulped audibly. "Yessir." He then beat a hasty retreat.

"It is alright, O'Neill," Teal'c assured the sniffling boy, his voice low. "You are safe."

O'Neill looked up at him with bloodshot eyes, then winced as he reached up his arms to wrap around Teal'c's thick neck.

Lifting the boy gingerly, and without touching his upper back, Teal'c carried O'Neill toward the elevator to bring him to the infirmary for treatment, and to let everyone know that he had been found.

.

Janet sat with Daniel on a bed in the infirmary after giving him some antihistamines for his allergies. It was very late by now, and he was leaning against her tiredly, but wouldn't allow himself to sleep. Every time Janet suggested it, he sat up straighter and told her that he couldn't sleep until he knew Jack was okay. That had made her smile.

At the approaching sound of heavily booted feet, Janet looked towards the door to see Teal'c striding purposefully into the infirmary, the once-missing five-year-old held carefully in his arms.

"Doctor Fraiser. O'Neill requires medical assistance. He has been injured."

Forcing herself to remain calm when she noticed the blood stains on the back of Jack's pajama top, Janet quickly motioned for Teal'c to take Jack to a bed, and then hurriedly tugged the curtain closed when Daniel was trying to see what was going on.

"What happened to him?" Janet asked as the Jaffa gingerly lowered the unresisting five-year-old to the bed.

"A guard discovered O'Neill roaming the corridors and chased the him into a lab where O'Neill fell, and was apparently injured by some broken glass objects." A frown darkened Teal'c's stern features. "The guard was not aware that O'Neill had been damaged, and caused the boy further distress by restraining him."

Janet felt her brow twitch. She studied the silent boy sitting stiffly on the bed, his cheeks red and stained with dried tears. "Jack? I need to cut your shirt off so I can take a look at your back, okay?"

The little boy sniffed, his face scrunching up with discomfort. "But I like this shirt," he mumbled in a small voice, pouting.

Looking up at Teal'c for a moment, Janet smiled, then placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder. "We'll get you a new one just like it, okay?"

Jack sighed, nodding after a moment, and Janet left him with Teal'c to get the scissors and some other medical supplies she may need.

After prepping a cart, Janet made a quick call, finding Sam making the rounds on Level 28, and informing her that their missing charge had been rounded up, and was in her care. Sam had assured Janet that she was on her way. And not a moment too soon. Janet doubted that Jack was going to be so compliant much longer, especially if he required stitches, which she suspected he did.

.

Janet gingerly cut away the youngster's blood-stained pajama shirt while Teal'c kept him still. It didn't help that Daniel had hopped off his own bed to come around the curtain and see what was going on.

"What are you doing to Jack? Can I see?" the mini-archaeologist asked curiously, climbing up on the bed and sitting cross-legged in front of Jack for a moment before Teal'c picked him up and set him back on the floor.

"I believe it is best that you didn't, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c informed the other boy as Jack started to squirm.

"Ow, that hurts," Jack whined, trying to twist around and see what Janet was doing when she gingerly pulled the fabric away from his injury.

Janet tried not to gasp, not wanting to frighten the little boy. "I know it hurts, sweetie, but I'm going to fix you up and you need to keep still."

There were bits of glass sticking out of several small abrasions on his upper back, most of which didn't look too deep, but there were a few that definitely required sutures. The worst part was that she'd have to flush the wound, then pick out all the tiny bits of glass before she could do anything else.

"I wanna see!" Daniel tried to come around the bed so he could get a look at his friend's back, but Teal'c quickly grabbed him.

"Maybe it's best if you take Daniel back to the suite, Teal'c," Janet suggested somewhat forcefully.

The big Jaffa bowed his head slightly in agreement. "Indeed." He gave Jack a reassuring pat on the leg and then lifted Daniel into his arms. "Come, Daniel Jackson."

"But I wanna stay!" he whined, nudging the big glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"It's way past your bed time, Daniel. Now go," Janet said in a soft, yet commanding, motherly tone. Sam was on her way, and Janet figured she'd be able to handle Jack on her own until then.

Teal'c glanced back briefly before taking Daniel out of the infirmary.

.

Striding quickly into the infirmary, Sam found Janet trying to coax Jack out from under a bed in a far corner of the room. "What's going on?"

Janet spun around, looking relieved when she saw her. "Sam, thank God!" She heaved a sigh. "Jack's got some bits of glass in the cuts on his back, and when I went to give him a local anesthetic before cleaning out the wounds, he saw the needle and went ballistic," the doctor explained.

Sam froze halfway into the room and cocked her head with confusion. "I don't understand. You had to draw blood when we brought Jack and Daniel through the gate, and there wasn't a problem."

One of Janet's eyebrows climbed, and she quickly cast a glance behind her at Jack, who still wasn't coming out of hiding. "If you remember, they were both unconscious at the time."

"Oh. Right." Sam grimaced, then rubbed at her arms. "Well, Jack's always had a thing about needles, as you know." She shrugged. "Maybe now that he's a child again, it's worse; amplified."

Janet sighed softly, nodding. "He needs to calm down so I can clean his wounds. I don't want him to get an infection, or do anything to push those bits of glass in deeper."

"I'll try." Sam walked slowly towards the bed Jack was hiding under, kneeling down and peering at him with a kind, genuine smile. "Hey, Jack, will you come out of there?"

Lifting his head from arms that were wrapped securely around his knees, Jack peered at her as if only now realizing that she was there. His bloodshot brown eyes widened, and he scrambled out of his hiding place to barrel into her arms. "Sam!"

Sam was careful as she wrapped her arms around his naked back, mindful of the wounds there. She glanced at the cuts as she held him, aware that a few were still bleeding sluggishly. Gingerly picking him up, Sam carried the little boy back to the bed. "It's okay, honey; no one's going to hurt you."

"Uh-huh." Jack buried his face in the side of her neck, nodding with disagreement. "Doc Janet was gonna stick me with that needle!" he exclaimed, his small voice wary. "Don't let her, Sam! Please!"

Catching the hurt look flash briefly across Janet's face, Sam stroked the back of her pint-sized husband's head calmingly. "She's not trying to hurt you, Jack. Janet just needs to give you one little shot so then she can fix you up, okay? She's a doctor; she just wants to help."

"No, no, no," Jack shook his head against her and started to squirm. "I don't want a shot!"

Sam sighed, trying to keep him still as she sat on the edge of the bed with the five-year-old in her lap. Janet was keeping her distance for now, making no moves toward the tray which held the needle. "It'll be okay, Jack. I'm going to stay right with you. There's only going to be a little pinch, then your back won't hurt so much anymore."

Jack leaned back, tempted with the idea. His wide, dark eyes studied her face as if searching for a hint of a lie. "Promise?"

"I promise." She smiled at him, then nodded for Janet to come forward.

"Okay," he mumbled into Sam's neck, squeezing her.

Janet prepared the needle and came up behind Jack, facing Sam as she held him. "Now hold still, alright sweetie? There's just going to be a quick pinch."

Sam felt him tense, and his grip on her tightened for a moment when Janet injected the needle. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It still hurts," Jack muttered, pulling his face back from Sam's neck and sticking out his lower lip.

"That should go away in a few minutes, Jack," Janet assured him. "Now, Sam, if you'll bring him into the infirmary showers, I'll get some warm saline and we'll flush the wounds."

"I already had my bath!" Jack complained, frowning.

Sam laughed softly. "You're not getting another bath, Jack. We're just going into the showers for a minute so the bed doesn't get all wet, okay?"

Jack nodded, making a face like he didn't quite understand. Then he started wiggling in her arms when Sam stood up with him and began carrying him to the infirmary showers.

"What's the matter?"

"It tingles." He leaned away to look at her, his nose scrunching up.

Sam smiled. "That's just the medicine working. I bet your back doesn't really hurt anymore, does it?"

Jack's head tilted in thought, his eyes roaming upwards before settling on her face again. "No."

.

After getting rid of the tiny bits of glass with the saline, they patted Jack dry and laid him on his stomach on the bed so Janet could pick out the more deeply imbedded pieces with some forceps.

Sam sat on the edge of the bed, her hand absently stroking Jack's hair while Janet worked. She'd given him some children's extra strength liquid Tylenol after they'd returned from the showers, and he was being surprisingly compliant as long as Sam was nearby.

Janet had already started with the sutures when Sam realized her miniature Colonel was snoring softly. She stopped stroking his hair for a moment, leaned down to see his face, and smiled. He was fast asleep.

Janet paused in her work for a moment and looked at Sam curiously. "Is he-"

"Sleeping; yeah." Sam laughed. "It's been a long night."

Sighing, Janet nodded in agreement. "It sure has."

.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **There's one more part of the story after this. It was intended to only be a quick one-shot, but turned into twenty-five pages.

**Part Three**

Jack was still out for the count as Sam carried him back to the suite, wrapped up in an infirmary blanket. Since Cassie was spending the night at a friend's house, Janet joined them to stay in the room with the boys.

Teal'c was on the couch, watching TV as they arrived, and little Daniel was curled up in the corner of the sofa, fast asleep. Well, at least he _had _been asleep. His head popped up curiously, blinking myopically without his glasses as Sam and Janet walked into the room.

"Janet!" Daniel bounded over the armrest of the couch and barreled into the doctor.

"Hey," Janet scooped him into her arms with some effort, settling her mini-fiancé on her hip. "You should be in bed." She affectionately flicked the tip of his button nose.

Daniel giggled and pulled his head back. "I was tryin' to wait up for you."

Teal'c stood up from the couch and began removing the cushions as Sam moved closer with Jack. "I will help you rearrange the sofa bed, Major Carter."

Sam gave him an appreciative nod, ducking her head and smiling to herself. "Thanks, Teal'c." It didn't matter to Teal'c that she and Jack had been married for the last two years, she was always going to be 'Major Carter' to him. And the rest of the base, apparently. But Sam didn't care; it made things easier at work. Just as long as she was Mrs. O'Neill at home.

Daniel was still talking to Janet animatedly as she took the little archaeologist to the other bed.

"Come on, Daniel," Janet said softly. "Lie down. It's time to go back to sleep."

"You'll stay tonight, won't you?" Daniel asked in a small voice.

Janet nodded. "Yes, tonight I can stay." She hadn't been able to the night before, because there was no one home for Cassie, and her daughter still wasn't aware of Jack and Daniel's situation yet.

Sam watched the little boy crawl beneath the covers, curling into a ball and lovingly squeezing the teddy bear that Janet handed to him. She smiled at them and shifted Jack in her arms while Teal'c finished opening the pull-out bed.

Teal'c drew back the blankets, and Sam slowly laid Jack down on his stomach. He was pretty out of it, and barely moved when she set him down and covered him with the blanket. "Teal'c, would you mind keeping an eye on him for a minute? I just want to go get changed."

"Indeed, I would not mind at all." Teal'c bowed his head slightly and stood sentinel beside the couch bed while Sam went to the bathroom to change.

"Sam," Janet stopped her, and Sam turned around slowly. "If he wakes up in the night, give him this." She held out a bottle of children's Tylenol.

"Thanks." Sam nodded, taking the bottle and smiling appreciatively.

.

Jack got through the night easier than Sam expected. When she woke in the morning, he was still lying on his stomach, but pressed tightly against her side, the thumb of his right hand shoved into his mouth. She lifted her arm and smiled down at him, stroking his soft hair that was sticking up all over the place.

He began to stir when she sat up, her hand no longer in his hair. She watched his brow quiver, his freckled nose crinkle, and his lower lip tremor faintly around his thumb as she shifted away from him. Sam immediately felt the loss of heat from his tiny body, and knew he must have been feeling the loss of her warmth as well.

Sam stretched as she slid off the couch bed, stifling a yawn and glancing toward the room's two other occupants. Daniel was still asleep, curled up to Janet so closely that if he got any closer he would have been under her skin. She smiled with amusement at the sight, then quickly and quietly made her way to the bathroom to relieve her full bladder.

Jack was fully waking when Sam returned. He rolled onto his side, and had almost turned onto his injured back when she swiftly moved to the bed to stop him. Her hand lightly pressed against the small of his back, preventing him from completing the roll.

"Mrm!" Jack made a startled noise, and Sam knelt on the bed, leaning over him to see the cocoa-brown eyes flash open.

"_Shh! Shh. It's okay," _Sam quickly hushed him as his breathing quickened to a panicked rasp, thumb coming out of his mouth. She stroked his bare arm, then reached for the blanket to pull it over him. "Jack? Sweetie, it's Sam."

"Sam?" Jack craned his neck to look up at her.

She smiled warmly. "What is it?"

"My back hurts," he mumbled, his brows quivering.

Frowning with concern, she moved to help him sit up, looking across the room where Janet had started to get up with Daniel. Sam reached for the bottle of Children's Tylenol on the table by the couch while Jack sat rubbing at his nose.

"I don't want that, it tastes icky!" Jack cried when Sam was pouring a capful of the syrupy liquid for him.

Sam hushed him softly as she heard Janet talking to Daniel. She smiled. "I know it doesn't taste good, but you need to take it."

Jack squirmed a little, but eventually swallowed the medicine, making an almighty fuss about the taste afterwards.

Janet was making her way toward them after Daniel had scurried off to use the bathroom. "Morning," she greeted with a warm smile. "How's he feeling this morning, Sam?"

Jack slid off the bed with a wince, reaching out to grasp the edge of Sam's t-shirt when she stood beside him.

"He's a little sore, but I gave him some Tylenol," Sam answered, brushing her hand over the top of Jack's head. He was apparently playing shy at the moment.

"I'll want to clean and re-dress those wounds this morning. We can call Teal'c down to keep an eye on the boys while you and I get showered and changed," Janet suggested.

Sam looked down at Jack, his fist tightening around the fabric of her t-shirt. He was looking up with his big, glossy brown eyes. There was a pleading look in his gaze. "I can just stay here to change, Janet. I brought some extra clothes down last night. It's no big deal."

"Alright." Janet looked over at Daniel emerging from the bathroom, and nodded. "I'm off duty today, but I need to get some things done in the infirmary first so we can get Jack taken care of. I guess I'll take Daniel with me so you don't have to keep an eye on both of them while you're getting ready. You can meet me in a little while."

Sam nodded.

"Where are we going?" Daniel asked, still a little sleepy. He adjusted the big glasses on his face and rubbed at his eyes.

"We're going to go get dressed and then go visit my office," Janet told him cheerily.

When Janet left with Daniel, Sam sent Jack off to the bathroom while she took out some clothes for him.

.

Since she wasn't digging out shards of glass this time, Janet was able to use a topical anesthetic on Jack's back as she cleaned up the cuts and around his stitches.

The little Colonel was sitting on Sam's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her neck as he squirmed, trying to shy away from Janet's touch. "It tingles!" he cried, wiggling around when Janet was finishing cleaning up the last of the wounds.

Sam soothingly stroked the soft hair atop his head. "It's okay, it's supposed to feel like that," she told him, attempting to keep the fidgety five-year-old still.

Jack leaned back so he could look at her face, then matter-of-factly stated with a frown, "I don't like it."

She fought the urge to laugh at his seriousness.

Janet carefully taped a large bandage in place, then signaled to Sam that she was finished. She started back toward her office, crooking a finger and motioning for Sam to join her. "Could I speak with you privately for a moment?"

Sam felt the crease form between her brows with her confusion. "Uh, sure." She slid Jack off her lap, sitting him on the bed as she stood. "Stay here for a minute, okay? I just need to talk to Janet quick."

After tentatively following Janet into her office, she looked at her friend somewhat uneasily. "What's up?"

Janet's lips pulled into a smile as she perched on the edge of her desk. "Daniel's back."

"Back . . . where?" Sam glanced around, but didn't see the little boy anywhere.

"He's back, Sam. He's big Daniel again. Back to normal." Leaning forward, Sam smiled widely.

"That's great! Where is he? Why didn't you tell me before?"

Janet made a face. "Honestly? Well, first I didn't want to say anything in front of Jack, and I also don't want to freak him out if he sees his little buddy suddenly all grown up."

"Ah. Right." Sam nodded with understanding. "Good thinking. So, is Daniel okay? I mean, how did it happen?" She wanted to know, hoping to prepare herself for whatever was going to happen when it was Jack's turn. It scared her a little that Jack wasn't back to his adult self yet, but Daniel was. They'd both been _miniaturized _at the same time; she couldn't figure out why Jack's return to normal had been delayed.

"It happened this morning, when I took Daniel back to my quarters. He told me he didn't feel good, so I had him lie down on the bed while I went to change. I was going to bring him here to check him over, but when I got out of the bathroom, it was . . . well, _my _Daniel, curled up asleep on the bed." Janet coughed, and Sam swore her friend's cheeks tinged pink for a moment.

Sam automatically assumed Daniel was naked, because any clothes his _little _self had been wearing _must _have been shredded when he suddenly changed size. She didn't comment on it. "But he's okay, right?"

"Oh yeah, he's fine." Janet waved a hand of dismissal. "I woke him up, and he was groggy, a little confused and tired still, but fine. I'll bring him down to check him out once Jack's out of here."

Nodding, Sam's eyes widened as she remembered just who they'd left in the infirmary a moment ago, unattended. "Um, speaking of which, I'd better go back in there."

Janet nodded in agreement. "Just keep an eye on him, especially if he mentions not feeling well, or if he's feeling anything unusual."

"I will. Thanks, Janet."

Sam froze in her tracks, shaking her head and smiling with amusement when she pulled back the curtain to find Jack standing near a tray and playing with an IV bag full of saline. "Jaaaaack," she drawled out deliberately.

Startled, the little boy dropped the bag, and it hit the floor with a _plop_. "I didn't do anything!" he retorted, far too quickly.

Bending to retrieve the IV bag, Sam laughed, setting it back on the tray and lightly patting Jack on the head. "It's okay." She gestured to the bed. "Come on over here and I'll help you get your shirt on."

Jack moved slowly, then snatched the t-shirt off the bed himself, before Sam could pick it up. "I can do it," he insisted stubbornly.

Sam stood by patiently as he stiffly struggled into the shirt. She lightly brushed her hand through his soft hair when he looked up at her. "You hungry?"

Making a face like he needed to think about it, Jack finally nodded. Sam was walking with him out of the infirmary when he asked, "Is Daniel gonna have breakfast with us?"

Sucking in her lower lip, Sam nearly froze. She decided to twist the truth a little bit. "No, sweetie. Janet said Daniel wasn't feeling very well, so he's resting."

"Oh."

Sam looked down at Jack, tensing in preparation for another question, but the little boy remained quiet and kept walking.

.

Sam watched Jack take his plastic sippy cup of chocolate milk and stiffly climb onto the couch. She knew the cuts on his back were probably sore, and had offered to give him something after breakfast, but he'd declined. Even as a five-year-old, her husband was a stubborn mule.

Since there was a chance that Jack could turn back at any time, Sam thought it best to keep him in the VIP suite to avoid any embarrassing scenarios where her husband wound up naked in the middle of the commissary or something.

Jack wasn't too happy about being restricted to one room, but he actually didn't put up too much of a fuss, and Sam was confident she could deal with him if that changed.

After setting her work laptop on the desk table in the corner of the suite, Sam ran a few simulations she'd been working on, and studied some data from recent experiments done in her lab. She'd been working diligently for nearly three hours before she realized how much time had passed, and it suddenly struck her that Jack had been unusually quiet.

Slightly alarmed, Sam closed her laptop and stood, glancing toward the sofa. The television was on, but there was no five-year-old in sight. "Jack?"

Getting no response, Sam checked under the coffee table, then the bed, before striding to the bathroom. She found Jack wedged between the toilet and the sink. He was sitting on the floor with his head on his knees, arms wrapped around scrawny little legs.

"Jack, what's the matter?" When he lifted his head from his knees, Sam could see he was flushed and sweaty, a miserable expression on his face. She slowly knelt in front of him and pressed her hand to his forehead, quickly discovering that he was burning up. "Oh, sweetie, why didn't you tell me?"

Sam instantly felt guilty for getting caught up in work and not paying enough attention to him. She gently guided him out from his spot and picked him up, grimacing when she heard a soft whimper. Jack's arms went around her neck, and his heated cheek pressed against her shoulder.

Carrying him toward the bed, she reached for the phone on the side table and immediately dialed for Janet in the infirmary, hoping she was still on base.

Cursing when there was no response, Sam asked for the base phone operator to send out an intercom message for Dr. Fraiser to report to the VIP quarters. She told the operator that Janet would know what was up if she got the message.

Sam bit her lip when she felt Jack go limp in her arms. She gently laid him on his side on the bed, smoothing back his damp hair. "God, I hope this is just because you're changing back, Jack." She sat down, nervously stroking his hair and praying that Janet would arrive soon.

She looked up with a sigh of relief when the door opened and Janet walked in, less than five minutes after she'd called.

"What's the matter? Is he changing back?" Janet asked with concern as she hastily made her way to the bed, a medical bag slung over her right shoulder.

"I hope so," Sam murmured with a grimace, not moving from Jack's side. "He's burning up, Janet. Did this happen to Daniel before he changed?"

Janet frowned as she took an aural thermometer out of her bag. "He was complaining of some nausea and a headache, but he didn't have a fever." She gently stuck the thermometer in the sleeping child's ear, checking the digital reading when it beeped a moment later. The doctor's brows were knit together, causing Sam to worry.

"What?" Sam swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

"He's got a temperature of a hundred and three."

Sam's eyes went wide with alarm. "Should we get him to the infirmary?"

"I'd rather not move him around too much if we don't have to. Just in case he _is _returning to normal." Janet started to dig around in her bag again. She heaved a sigh and got up. "I need to go to the infirmary to bring some supplies in here. I'm concerned that he could be having a difficult time returning to his . . . well, his adult body."

"Why Jack and not Daniel?" Sam wondered aloud. "They transformed at the same time, and were both physically fine afterwards, other than the fact that they were considerably _younger_, but . . ."

"Jack's original age might be a factor this time around," Janet said finally as she started toward the door. She seemed to consider that for a moment, then said, "It could also have to do with the fact that he was injured. His body might have to work harder to return him to his original form."

Biting her lower lip, Sam peered down at the helpless little boy, curled up and sweating on the bed. "What should I do?" she asked softly, her voice strained.

"Dampen a cloth in cold water and try to cool him down. I'll get some ice packs with the monitoring equipment," Janet instructed gently.

Sam nodded after Janet, her attention shifting as she watched her friend go. She got up and headed for the bathroom to get a damp towel, and nearly jumped out of her skin a minute later when she turned around to see little Jack standing in the doorway.

"I threw up," he murmured miserably, sweaty, pale, and leaning in the doorframe with a mess down the front of his t-shirt.

Abandoning the damp towel on the edge of the sink, Sam gently ushered him into the bathroom. "It's okay, sweetie. Let's just get you cleaned up."

Thankful that the VIP suite had a full bath, Sam sat Jack on the edge of the tub and turned on the water. She kept the temperature lukewarm to help with his fever, then plugged the drain and helped the lethargic five-year-old out of his soiled clothes. For once, he didn't fight her.

Sam could hear Janet coming in with a cart by the time she'd gotten Jack in the bathtub.

"Sam?" Janet's concerned voice called out.

"In here." Sam picked up the wash cloth and gingerly dabbed around the cuts and stitches on Jack's back. He sat in the water with his chin on his knees, arms wrapped around his legs.

Janet poked her head into the bathroom and gave Sam a curious look.

"He got sick," Sam explained with a grimace of sympathy.

"That explains the smell," Janet gestured behind her to the room. "Why don't I strip the bed and get some clean sheets while you finish up with him in here."

Nodding, Sam smiled tightly up at her friend. "Thanks, Janet." She told Jack to close his eyes, and wrung out the wash cloth over his head, letting the tepid water soothe his heated skin.

Jack shivered, burying his face in his knees.

"Are you cold?" Sam asked him worriedly.

The little boy shook his head. _"No. Hot," _came his muffled voice.

Sam gingerly pushed her hand through his wet hair. "Then why are you shaking?"

Jack shrugged again before tremors shook his entire scrawny frame.

Rinsing the soap from his body, Sam gently guided him to stand. It pained her to see the little boy so tired and obviously weak, his bony knees trembling. She wrapped him in a big towel and lifted him into her arms, carrying him to the main room.

Janet had finished with the bed and was setting up some simple monitoring equipment. Fraiser turned slowly as Sam brought Jack over to the bed.

Sam dressed the limp little boy in a pair of shorts, but he wouldn't put on anything else, mumbling that he was too hot, even though he kept shaking.

Lying on his back didn't seem to be bothering him too much at the moment, which was a good thing because it was easier for him to lie flat with the monitors Janet was connecting to his chest.

Sam climbed onto the bed beside Jack, and began mopping his forehead with a cool cloth that Janet handed her. Worrying thoughts were buzzing around in her head. "This is it, isn't it Janet? He's changing back, right?" she asked hopefully, despite her doubts and fears.

"Maybe." Janet's face gave away nothing. She turned on the monitor screen before her attention returned to Jack. "Well, he's obviously nauseas, like Daniel was. Maybe worse, since Daniel never actually vomited. But Daniel had a headache, too." She gently nudged Jack awake. "Jack?"

Sam felt his overheated brow and lightly brushed the hair out of his face. "Sweetie, can you wake up for us?"

Janet rubbed his shoulder, and his eyes opened, squinting before blinking groggily at them. _"Sam?" _he murmured weakly, a heartbreaking tinge of fear in his voice.

Reaching for his hand, Sam gave it a squeeze. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm right here."

"_I don't feel good," _he moaned.

"I know, but you'll feel better soon," Sam assured him, trying to keep her own doubt out of her tone.

Janet laid her hand gently against his cheek. "Jack, does your head hurt?"

The little boy sniffed and nodded slowly.

"Sam, could you come here a moment?" Janet stepped away from the bed, moving far enough away so Jack wouldn't overhear.

Sam smiled down at Jack, assuring him she'd be right back before following.

"I'm fairly certain he's changing back, now," Janet said calmly. "Which is why I'm reluctant to give him anything for his symptoms. His body already seems to be having a hard time of it, and I don't want to chance making things worse by adding drugs to the mix, no matter how mild."

Sucking in a sharp breath, Sam nodded in understanding. "What should I do?"

"Just stay with him; try to keep him comfortable as best as you can, and hopefully this thing will happen within the next hour or so." Janet gestured toward the machine she'd set up by the bed. "I can monitor the readings from the nurses station, so I'll give you two some privacy. You can call if you need anything. I'm going to inform the General what's going on, and I'll be staying on base. I still want to run a few more tests on Daniel, and keep him under observation overnight, just in case."

"Alright." Sam started back toward the bed. "Thanks Janet."

Fraiser smiled warmly at her and left.

.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: **I apologize for the shortness of this final part, but I had a tough time breaking up the last chapter. I hope you still enjoy it. :)

**Part Four**

Sam checked Jack's temperature for about the seventh time in the last half hour, and readjusted the ice packs she'd placed around her miniature husband's body. He had finally drifted off to sleep, and she laid down next to him, alternating from watching him sleep and staring at the muted monitor, her eyes following the up and down zig-zags of his heart beat.

The sight soon lulled her off to sleep, and Sam zonked out, mesmerized by the sound of the little boy's breathing and the pattern of bright lines on the monitor screen.

When she opened her eyes, Jack was gone. Sam sat up in a panic. The monitor screen was a straight line, and the leads lay on the bed with the ice packs. A brief moment of clarity soothed her, because if Jack had been gone long, Janet would have been there already. Momentarily comforted by the thought that Janet would be on her way, Sam quickly looked around the room before her eyes zeroed in on the half-open bathroom door, a little bit of light coming from inside.

"Jack?" she called out tentatively, creeping anxiously toward the door. Sam pushed it open, holding her breath until she saw Jack - adult Jack - curled into a ball on the cold tiles, naked as the day he was born.

Sam hurriedly knelt at his side, checking the pulse at his wrist and stroking the side of his face. "Jack? Jack, babe, wake up."

He began to rouse slowly, his face scrunched up with what looked like pain and confusion. _"Sam?" _Jack croaked, craning his neck to look up at her from the floor.

She smiled at him and continued stroking his face soothingly. "It's okay; it's okay. You're back now."

His brows furrowed for a moment before his expression changed. _"Sam . . ." _he whispered weakly. _"I don't feel so good . . ." _

Sam's eyes widened in alarm as Jack lost consciousness. She patted his face and called his name, but she couldn't wake him again. Scrambling to her feet, Sam raced back into the main room to grab the extra blanket from the bed. She quickly wrapped it around her husband's naked body just as she heard Janet enter the room.

"Sam?"

"Janet! He's back, but I think something's wrong," Sam cried, gathering Jack to her so that he was half in her lap, as much off the cold floor as she could get him.

.

"This is weird," Daniel murmured absently from the observation deck above the isolation room Jack had been put in. His friend was still unconscious, hooked up to monitors and an IV drip. Sam was sitting on the edge of her husband's bed, his hand in hers.

"What's weird?" Janet asked him as she entered the room.

Shaking himself, Daniel turned to her with a tight smile and rubbed his arms. "It's strange. I remember bits and pieces of when we were, you know, _little_, and it's just kinda weird seeing him _big _again." His brows furrowed momentarily, and he made a face. "It's weird _being _big again."

Janet came up beside him and rubbed his back, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You feel okay, right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and waved a hand at the window. "How's Jack?"

When he craned his neck to see Janet's face, he could see that she was frowning slightly. "He's still unconscious, but his fever is finally going down."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully, sinking into a chair and once more staring through the window at his two friends. He felt the weight of Janet's hand on his shoulder a moment later.

"He'll be okay, Daniel."

.

When Jack's temperature finally returned to normal in the late evening, he began to rouse from the worrying state of unconsciousness he'd been ensconced in for the last several hours.

Sam sat up, alert at his side. She lovingly squeezed his arm, urging him to open his eyes and look at her. _"Come on, Jack. Wake up," _she whispered pressingly.

As his dark, foggy eyes finally opened, Jack's gaze tracked toward Sam sluggishly. His brows pulled together with confusion.

"Jack, do you know where you are?"

His eyes shifted slowly from left to right, then his brows furrowed slightly. "Infirmary?"

Sam nodded emphatically with a smile. "That's right, Jack." Her hand slid down his arm to grasp his hand.

"What happened?" He asked as his eyes shifted to look around the room.

"You don't remember?"

Jack closed his eyes in thought for a moment, his free hand dragging up to rest on his forehead. "Not really." He made a face and opened his eyes again. "Something about mud, air ducts, and . . . cake?"

Sam laughed and nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, something like that." She raked a hand through his hair gently, then propped up his pillows and helped Jack sit up as Janet and Daniel came through the door.

Daniel's big smile was infectious. "Hey Jack, how's it feel to be big again?"

"What?" Jack stared blankly at his friend, then his brows furrowed, and Sam could tell some things were still coming back. His eyes widened and he dragged both hands over his face. "Aw, _Christ._"

"It's okay, Jack," Sam assured her husband, smiling and rubbing his shoulder. "You weren't _that _unmanageable."

He heaved a sigh and rubbed at the back of his head. "Great."

Janet did a quick vitals check, then had Jack lean forward so she could examine his back. Both she and Sam shared an amazed look behind him. "Wow," the doctor murmured, sweeping a hand across Jack's unscathed upper back.

"The transformation must have healed him," Sam murmured absently with amazement.

Jack grew slightly agitated as his confusion escalated. "What are you talking about?"

Daniel stepped in. "Ah, let's just say you had a little lab accident when you were small."

Sam shared amused expressions with Daniel and Janet, then reassuringly squeezed Jack's hand and smiled. "It's okay, you didn't ruin anything important."

Jack rolled his eyes, looking like he was still in a bit of shock trying to process it all.

"Now, Colonel, how are you feeling?" Janet asked him seriously.

"I feel fine," he answered confidently.

Sam beamed happily over at Janet. As much as she still loved little Jack, and would always remember the sweet little moments she shared with him, Sam was just so relieved that her husband was back to himself.

"But more importantly," Jack began, sending Daniel a conspiratorial wink. "When do I get my cake?"

. The End .


End file.
